Conspiracies
by SamanthaRose
Summary: Two hunters, Matt and Sarah, encounter the legendary Earthbound Ranger, Kumiko, in the forest. Kumiko reveals she's trying to find an android that will lead to a mysterious Force who is trying to kill her...but Matt doesn't like the way she looks at Sarah
1. Kumiko

Matt checked carefully around the corner for the Booma hoard that had followed he and Sarah this far, not seeing them anywhere.  
  
"Sarah." He called, and his smaller Newman sister came out of a hollow nearby. She had pale purple hair that hung down to her waist and her small figure looked too fragile for the brand she was carrying. Power had shadowed the desperate need for speed when the hoard attacked, but as Matt watched, Sarah abandoned her brand for the deadly knives she liked better.  
  
"Are you sure it's safe?" She asked, coming to stand beside him, lifting her blue eyes to look at him. Matt nodded.   
  
"The hoard is gone. We should be able to continue." He tugged his silver braid and hefted his own sword, slowly walking out into the body strewn, blood splattered open, Sarah on his heels.  
  
"We should head for the warp pad west of here...we need to get to higher ground." Sarah looked at the electronic map, noticing three small blips on the far corner of the scanner. "Wait." She held a hand out to Matt, who had been walking towards a pair of doors nearby. "There's something else here...something..." She spun around and searched the high hills and treetops for the enemy. Matt's hand tightened on his sword and he swallowed, moving to stand beside Sarah.  
  
"Is it Booma's" He asked, then Sarah let out a sound of warning. Too fast to see, three shadows swooped from the treetops and slammed hard into the ground.  
  
"No, it's not Booma's." She shouted, and Matt stood on guard.  
  
"What...are these things?" He asked. They were too big, too fast and too strong for the two hunter siblings to have any chance of defeating. "Damn it...Sarah, we have to get out of here!" Matt tried to make a break for the door, but one of the massive creatures flattened him as it jumped and landed in front of him.  
  
"Matt!" Sarah screamed, then she growled and summoned up her magic, blasting a powerful Barta attack at the one creature to the left. It bakced off, but the one in front of her swung it's fist back and prepared to punch her. Sarah searched for a way to jump, but she saw the hoard closing in. "Matt!" She cried despretly, summoning magic to blast a Rabarta. A Booma on her right knocked her down and she saw stars. Matt was calling her name from somewhere. "No..."  
  
Suddenly, the creatures above her backed away, their attention drawn by the pained and angered screaming of one of the huge mutants that had attacked. Matt came running over to her and helped her up, smiling.   
  
"There's a ranger somwhere. Someone picked off that extra giant with a sniper. C'mon, Sarah, let's go get them!" Coming to her senses a bit, Sarah looked dimly at her brother, who cast Resta to heal her wounds.  
  
"Okay." She looked over to where the hoard was returning to them, to where the giants, now only two, were heading towards the trees. One of them jerked and toppled while the other turned and leapt back towards them, landing a mere three feet away. Matt growled and ran towards it, knocking a Booma to the ground on the way. Sarah heard a giggle from above her, looking up into the trees. A woman sat there, from the look of her clothes, a Ranger. She held a huge sniper rifle in her hands and a buster was attached at her waist, her blonde hair waving slightly as she stood. With a flying leap, she jumped from the trees and landed on the shoulders of the unsuspecting creature below. Matt looked up at her as she held her footing against the startled thrashing of the Hildebear. Her sniper aimed straight down at it's head, she looked up at Matt and winked. Realizing her was far too close, the turned and began to run back towards Sarah, who stared at the woman in curiousity.  
  
The Ranger took her buster from her waist and pulled the trigger on her sniper, blasting a photon bullet straight down into the Hildebear's head. Any roar it tried to attempt became a pitiful moan as it fell to the ground with a crash, its blood splashing across the ground. The ranger woman did a graceful tumble from the falling creature's shoulders, shouldering her own sniper and brandishing her buster as she raced forward through the remains of the hoard. With spins and thrusts, she took out what was left of the Boomas without stopping, dancing through the crowds, through gaps that no one should have been able to fit through without getting stuck or being hit. At last, she came to rest at the feet of the hunter siblings, panting slightly but smiling widely. Looking up, she met Sarah's blue eyes with her own deep purple ones.  
  
"Lucky I was here to save your slaughtering lives." She said in a slightly accented voice. "I'm Kumiko." 


	2. Conspiracy Begins

Blonde hair a little shorter than Sarah's hung down to about Kumi's mid back, soft and wavy, and she was half an inch shorter than Sarah, making her the shortest person Matt had ever seen.  
  
"Mind your language. Light, you Rangers are all the same." Matt snapped. "But you were a...big...help." Sarah studied the ranger for a moment, then held out her hand.  
  
"Sarah." She said. Kumiko smiled back and held out her hand too, shaking Sarah's.   
  
"Pleased to meet you. Who's this baka bishonen you travel with?"  
  
"What language are you speaking and where do you come from, with that accent?" Matt snapped.  
  
"I hail from old Earth. You look a little too wet behind the ears to have lived there, though."  
  
Matt scowled but didn't protest anymore, though he did wishe he knew what she had said. Language classes had never been his strong point.  
  
"Now, Thank you for saving us. We were lucky you were here. Am I able to ask you why you were here?" Sarah queried. Kumiko made a rude noise somewhat like a snort.  
  
"Sure you can ask. I'm hunting this android hunter named Mechana. She's one of the ones behind all the flaming problems on this light blinded planet." Matt grit his teeth and Kumiko raised an eyebrow, smiling wickedly. "Hey, baka bishonen? Got a problem with my language? Get used to it, I think I'm gonna be travelling with you for awhile to watch your sorry asses." She winked again and shouldered her brand.  
  
Sarah didn't know whether to be grateful, or annoyed.  
  
Kumiko walked ahead of the two hunter siblings, giving them a chance to talk.   
  
"Should we trust her?" Matt whispered. Sarah stared at the back of Kumiko's head, nodding.  
  
"She saved us from those Hildebears and the hoard. We need her here if we end up running into more." She whispered back. Matt glared at the girl up ahead, still considering her a girl despite the fact that she was a year older than him, making her twenty one. Sarah was a year younger than him...  
  
And he didn't like the way Kumiko had been staring at her. Th eolder woman slowed and looked over her shoulder as though she had heard his thoughts. Matt's steely eyes met hers and they held contact for a moment.  
  
"Heads up." Kumi said, then she lifted her sniper and spun around. Matt jumped and turned in time to see an adorable yellow bird trotting towards him.  
  
"Why should I be worried about..."  
  
"Where there's one Rag Rappy, there'll be at least five others." Kumiko grinned again, blasting the Rappy and looking behind her at the warp pad. "Run." She said, smiling still. They ran as she took off towards the warp pad, aware of the sound of running feet behind them. Sarah looked over her shoulder and felt the ground reel beneath her as a Booma erupted from it. Its fur was purple and a sharp horn rose from its ugly snout. Sarah gasped and tried to stand, but the Booma brought it's foot down on her leg, roaring. Sarah felt pain searing and screamed, hearing the sound of the rappy's coming closer.   
  
Matt started back but Kumiko grabbed his collar, throwing him towards the warp pad and handing him a shot gun.  
  
"Get your ass up there and shoot from far away!"  
  
"But Sarah!"  
  
"I'll help her! Follow my fucking orders or we're all dead!" Kumiko pushed him harder and took off with her sniper, aiming at the GigoBooma. One shot got it's attention. "Matt, go! Now!"  
  
Matt spat an oath and activated the warp pad, getting up to higher ground.  
  
Sarah saw the Booma back off, looking over at Kumiko, then down at her mangled leg.   
  
"Damn, can't stand..." She turned, unsheathing her knives and attacking the Rappys from a sitting position. Kumiko kept the GigoBooma busy while Sarah managed to stand, looking around for Matt. She spotted him at a higheer area and began to limp towards the warp pad. Soemthing behind Matt caught her eye.  
  
There was an android behind him...  
  
"Matt!!!" She shrieked, but it was too late. The android grabbed Matt and held a gun to his head.  
  
Kumiko collapsed onto her knees, exhausted from her efforts. Her buster was still embedded in the GigoBooma's body and she didn't have enough strength to get it out, or to cast Resta on herself. Sarah's scream roused her attention, but she just couldn't move at all.  
  
"S-sarah...I need..." She started, then she saw Mechana. "Bitch! No! Get away from him!" She tried to get up, but she couldn't. Sarah frantically cast Resta, racing towards the warp pad, but Kumiko called out to her to stop.  
  
"You can't! Mechana's an android! She doesn't have feelings, if you try to save Matt, she'll shoot you!"  
  
"So be it, I can't let him..."  
  
"Sarah no!"  
  
Kumiko forced herself to her feet and Sarah reached out a hand to help her, looking back at where Mechana had forced Matt through the warp pad and across part of the feild. The gun was no longer at his head.   
  
It was on Kumiko. 


	3. Curious Feelings

"I heard you were looking for me, Kumiko the Ranger. Looks like I managed to snag your hunter friend. I thought you were supposed to be good..." The harsh grating of the mechanisms inside Mechana's body couldn't drown out the music of her voice. She was a deep black and green with burning yellow eyes and she carried as sabre as well as a hand gun. Kumiko tried to speak but Matt's face stopped her. Sarah continued to lend support...  
  
Matt was planning something...  
  
"Ragol is unfit for foolish humans and newmans like yourselves. My advice is to give up while you still can." Mechana continued. Kumiko swallowed and watched Matt.  
  
He smiled slightly and reached up quickly, grabbing the android's arm adn flinging her quickly over his head. She squeaked, caught by surprise suddenly. Matt backed away from her, helping Sarah support Kumiko.  
  
"Lets go." Sarah stooped to pick up the fallen handgun.  
  
"My buster is worth more and stronger than your sabre, Mechana. If I weren't so tired and beat up, I'd kill you. Guess you'll have to be killed another day." Kumiko spat on her and the three of them headed back to Pioneer Two on a telepipe Matt created. Mechana hissed in their direction and got up, aware that someone was in the clearing behind them.  
  
"You could have helped, you worthless sack of shit." She snarled at the tall and beautiful male Force who approached her. He silenced her and smiled.  
  
"They are all so beautiful...we must not kill them when there is still a chance to turn them to our side and add them to my collection. Come Mechana, we must return to the others." He said softly, his eyes on the sky. Mechana didn't speak.  
  
The hospital bustled with activity, so no one but one nurse, Stasya, payed much mind to the odd trio. Sarah sat quietly beside Kumiko's bed as the woman slept, regarding her with a hidden interest she couldn't explain.  
  
/She's so intriguing...I'm curious, that's all./ Matt came in, stopping in the doorway and staring as well. Kumi actually looked like a woman, sleeping soundly in flannel pyjamas.   
  
/Too bad she's such a monster when she's awake./  
  
"Hey, Sarah, it's rude to stare." He said quietly, looking away himself. "Lets go eat." Sarah looked over, then back down at Kumiko, standing and nodding.  
  
"While you're out, pick me up some real food. I can't stand this hospital crap." Matt had no idea why he had thought of Kumiko as a woman only seconds before.  
  
"Well, if you're up to it, come with us...woman." He said. Kumiko was looking at him with one slightly open green eye. Matt blinked.  
  
"Weren't your eyes..."  
  
"Purple? Hai. They're always green when I wake up." She sat up, stretching slightly with a dainty yawn only a woman could pull off.  
  
"Two hunters and a ranger, how convenient." A dry, amused voice said. "I wish to ask you for your cooperation." The three looked over to see a tall young ranger standing in the doorway, a tight braid keeping her hair from her face, all but a few stray strands. She wore glasses and robes other than the traditional rangers choice of clothing. She carried no weapons. "Hello, my name is Rebecca..."  
  
"No offense, lady, but if you want us to help you right now, you're royally screwed. WE have enough on our plates..." Rebecca blinked down at the incredibly short woman in pyjamas in front of her, wearing a scowl.  
  
"Who, are you?" She asked.  
  
"Kumiko." Rebecca's eyes widened and she swallowed.   
  
"Oh..." Was all she said. Sarah watched in fascination. Kumiko smiled, reaching for her clothing while unbuttoning the pyjamas. Matt didn't notice her undressing at first, too focused on Rebecca and her intentions...  
  
Until she dropped the pyjamas on the floor, standing there in her underwear and turning her shirt right side in at her won leisure. Sarah was staring at him heatedly as he blinked, looking over.  
  
"Matt!" She hissed, pushing him. "Get out..." Matt, stunned and fuming, caught the smug and nasty grin on Kumiko's face as Sarah shoved him out of the room.  
  
/Damn her! I'll get her for this!!/ 


End file.
